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Dr Larry Creswell

Dr. Larry Creswell on athletes and heart health.
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Swim Safe in 2014

May 5, 2014 By Larry Creswell, MD 3 Comments

Man Swimming in Pool

 

 

 

 

 

 

My column this month at Endurance Corner is about swim safety.  Since the triathlon season is ramping up here in the U.S., I thought I’d post the column here, too.

From a safety perspective, the triathlon swim can be very unforgiving.  As we know, there are a few athletes who die each year in the United States during the swim portion of multisport events.  That’s really just the tip of the iceberg, though.  Many other athletes require rescue because of serious medical problems or just because conditions on race day were too tough to handle.

Athletes often ask me:  “What can I do to ensure my safety during the swim?”  Here’s my 10-item checklist:

1. Get a check-up.  Be sure that you’re healthy for the race.  Visit the doctor for a check-up.  Identify any major medical problems, especially any unsuspected heart condition.  We know that among athlete fatalities, unrecognized heart problems are found in the majority.

2. Understand the warning signs.  During training, pay attention to warning signs that may be a clue to an unrecognized heart problem:  chest pain/discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, palpitations, light-headedness or passing out, and unexplained fatigue.  Get evaluted if you have any of these symptoms.

3. Become a capable swimmer.  Perhaps it’s obvious.  This is the cornerstone to your swim safety on race day.

4. Practice open water swimming.  It’s simply different from the pool.  You need an extra set of practiced skills for the open water triathlon swim.

5. Choose an event carefully.  Take into consideration your health and your preparedness.  It’s find to “think big,” but remember to think about your safety, too.  It’s easy to underestimate the demands of the open water triathlon swim.

6. Develop a race plan that takes your health and preparedness into consideration.  Work with your doctor and your coach.

7. Check your swim gear before the race.  Make certain your race suit, swimskin or wetsuit, goggles, and cap are ready to go on race day.

8. Include a swim warm-up as part of your pre-race routine.  This will help with your safety as well as your performance.

9. Use a race-day checklist just before you start.  Deliberately review the course conditions, recall your race plan, locate the safety resources, and make a conscious decision about whether to participate or not.  Make a wise decision.  Only you can make the final decision to participate.

10. Swim safely.  Know where to find a lifeguard if you need one.  Remember to stop at the first sign of a medical problem.  Your life could depend on it.

 Related Posts:

 1. Triathlon Fatalities:  2013 in Review

2. New USAT Water Temperature Safety Recommendations

Filed Under: Endurance Corner articles, Race safety

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)–Part 3

April 26, 2014 By Larry Creswell, MD Leave a Comment

HR

 

 

 

 

 

In Part 3 of my short series on heart rate variability (HRV), my column at Endurance Corner discusses the hardware and software tools that are currently available to athletes who want to use HRV metrics in their training.

Filed Under: Endurance Corner articles, Exercise & the heart Tagged With: athlete, heart, heart rate, training

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)–Part 2

April 8, 2014 By Larry Creswell, MD 2 Comments

HR

 

 

 

 

In my column today at the Endurance Corner website, I share part 2 in a series about endurance athletes and heart rate variability (HRV).  Today, I talk about measuring HRV and how athletes might use HRV to help guide their training.  Stay tuned for part 3, where I’ll talk about the available hardware and software options and summarize my thoughts on the subject.

Filed Under: Endurance Corner articles, Exercise & the heart Tagged With: athlete, exercise, heart, heart rate, monitor, training

A Primer on Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

March 12, 2014 By Larry Creswell, MD 1 Comment

HR

 

 

 

 

In my column this month at Endurance Corner, I’m writing about heart rate variability (HRV).  In Part 1, I offer an introduction to the topic and develop the basic concepts and terminology.  In an upcoming Part 2, I’ll write about the application of HRV to endurance training and share some information about the currently available hardware and software tools that athletes might find helpful.

Filed Under: Endurance Corner articles, Exercise & the heart Tagged With: athlete, exercise, heart rate, heart rate monitor, overtraining, training

Triathletes and Doping

January 29, 2014 By Larry Creswell, MD Leave a Comment

At my column this month at Endurance Corner, I wrote about age group triathletes and doping.  Based on athlete questionnaires, a recent study found that about 15% of age group triathletes at three long course events in 2013 reported some form of doping in the preceeding year.  I shared some information about the study and its findings as well as some of the cardiovascular concerns with the common doping agents.

Looking at the Tweets and comments today, some are surprised the rate is so high….and others are surprised it’s so low.  I’m not surprised.

Filed Under: Endurance Corner articles, Medications & the athlete Tagged With: doping, performance enhancing drug, triathlon, USADA, WADA

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